The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for cleaning and drying hoses and more specifically to an apparatus for use on truck mounted carpet cleaners for cleaning and drying the hoses.
In the United States today, the majority of businesses, offices, homes and apartments employ carpeting as the main floor covering. Most business owners and homeowners have neither the time, nor the equipment to clean their carpets on their own, thus, commercial carpet cleaning businesses have been established to provide such a service. While some smaller carpets can be removed from the dwelling for the purpose of cleaning, many have been permanently installed, making removal for cleaning impossible. Thus, it is necessary for the cleaning equipment to be brought into the house.
The cleaning process is generally accomplished by use of a high power truck mounted carpet cleaning system. Typically, a van is used to house and transport the cleaning equipment. A long hose carrying cleaning solution and heated water under pressure runs from the vehicle to the area of the house which needs to be cleaned, allowing these solutions to be applied to the carpet. The dirty solution and water is then pulled out of the carpet and returned to a holding tank in the vehicle via a second vacuum hose.
While this system provides an effective, cost-efficient method of cleaning carpets, that cannot be removed from the dwelling, an inherent problem in this system is the fact that the hoses must travel from the vehicle outside the house to the area in the house where the carpet is located. The hoses must run along the ground inside and outside of the house and frequently become covered with dirt and other debris which is subsequently dragged into the area being cleaned, dirtying other carpets in the process. This process is amplified when the hoses become wet, making dirt cling more readily and occasionally covering the hose with mud.
From the above description it can be seen that it becomes important to provide an effective means for keeping the hoses on carpet cleaning systems clean and dry. Several hose or tube cleaning devices have been tried.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,861 (issued to Bokat) shows a tube-like apparatus encasing brushes through which a hose or cable is passed. Water is introduced such that it flows both in the same direction as the hose being pulled through the chamber (co-current flow) and in the opposite direction as the hose (countercurrent flow). In this manner, the water and brushes clean the hose, but this apparatus does not provide a method for drying the hose as it leaves the chamber. Additionally, while the water flows in two directions in order to clean the hoses, it is not pressurized and does not provide the maximum cleaning potential.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,415 (issued to Wallace) shows an apparatus through which cleaning hoses are passed as they are being wound onto a hose storage spool in the cleaning vehicle. Pressurized jets spray water onto the hoses, cleaning them, and waste water is drained into a waste pan and removed. However, this configuration, like the previously described patent, does not provide a method for drying the hoses completely, allowing for accumulation of dirt and mud on the hoses, especially if they are used again before they have a chance to dry.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,950 (issued to Schenke et al.) shows a cleaning apparatus employing an array of helically disposed brushes which clean the outer surfaces of hoses while cleaning solvent is circulated through the housing of the apparatus. A wiper ring, at the outlet of the housing through which the hoses pass, provides a means for removing moisture from the surface of the hose. While this apparatus provides a means for cleaning and drying hoses, it uses a cleaning solution rather than pressurized water, unnecessarily creating harmful fumes and environmentally unsafe waste. Additionally, the apparatus is large and bulky and does not lend itself to easy use in situations where portable cleaning equipment is used.
From the foregoing discussion, it can be seen that it would be highly desirable to provide an effective means for removing dirt and debris from carpet cleaning hoses especially the vacuum hose. Additionally, it would be highly desirable to provide a method for cleaning these hoses which also dries the hoses to prevent the clean hoses from attracting additional dirt and debris after the cleaning process. Further, it is desirable to provide a means which is portable and can be used in the cleaning vehicles which transport equipment to a variety of locations.